Beltre Powers Rangers Past Mariners 5-4

Leonys Martin of the Texas Rangers celebrates a safe slide into home plate against the Seattle Mariners on July 4, 2013 in Arlington, Texas. (credit: Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images)

ARLINGTON (AP) – Two big swings from Adrian Beltre helped the Texas Rangers snap out of their offensive funk.

The All-Star slugger went deep twice and the Rangers used a four-run seventh inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on Thursday night.

Texas hadn’t scored more than four runs in the last six games and was outscored 13-4 in losing the first two of the series against the Mariners.

Beltre hit a solo shot in the second and another in the seventh for his 24th career multihomer game. He finished with three hits and two RBIs.

“I think the last couple of days we haven’t been able to get the big hit,” he said. “Obviously, that’s what you’re looking for when you hit in the middle of the lineup. Today was a better day, even though it was late.”

With Texas trailing 3-1, Beltre led off the seventh with a drive to center against Hisashi Iwakuma (7-4). A.J. Pierzynski then singled and Lance Berkman walked before Mitch Moreland bounced a tying single up the middle against Charlie Furbush.

Elvis Andrus came up with a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Ian Kinsler capped the big inning with an RBI single.

Texas manager Ron Washington said before the game that he hoped his team would improve with runners in scoring position. He eventually got his wish.

“That’s exciting when you can run the bases,” Washington said.

Josh Lindblom (1-2) recorded the final two outs of the seventh to pick up his first win since Aug. 31.

Raul Ibanez homered for the Mariners, belting a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh. It was his 12th homer in his last 28 games, lifting the total for the 41-year-old slugger to 21 for the year.

Iwakuma, who came in leading the AL in ERA, allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. The Japanese right-hander is 0-3 with a 5.54 ERA in his last four starts.

Ibanez went 4 for 5 with three RBIs and Kyle Seager added three hits for the Mariners, who were trying for their first series sweep at Texas since 2002.

The Mariners had 14 hits, but went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base.

“We’ve got to do better with guys on base,” said Ibanez, who had his first four-hit game since June 8, 2010. “This is a place where you feel no lead is safe. When you’re playing against them, you know they are going to score runs.”

Ibanez hit an RBI single off Tanner Scheppers in the eighth to get Seattle within one, but Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 29 chances.

Beltre led off the second with his first home run since June 9.

“(Beltre) shows up every day and he not only comes to do his job, he comes to beat the opponent,” Washington said. “He battles every single day and he makes everyone around him better.”

The Mariners tied it with an unearned run in the sixth. Seager and Justin Smoak singled leading off the inning, and Seager scored on a throwing error by second baseman Kinsler, snapping Martin Perez’s scoreless stretch at 16 2-3 innings.

Perez allowed an unearned run in 5 1-3 innings. The 22-year-old rookie gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked two in his fourth start of the season.